Illusory self-location in virtual reality: The interplay of vestibular function, aging, and gaming experience.
Brain research June 19, 2025 Zoé Dary, Paul Kobliska, Jacques Léonard et al.
The vestibular system, which governs balance and spatial orientation, contributes to body and self perception, but its role in the immediate, pre-reflective sense of self (the bodily self) is not well understood. This study used a full-body illusion in virtual reality to examine how bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP), a disorder impairing vestibular function, affects the bodily self. Comparing 34 patients with partial or complete BVP, 34 age-matched healthy controls, and 34 younger controls, the results showed that BVP did not significantly alter the bodily self as measured. However, patients with total vestibular loss exhibited a larger drift in illusory self-location, suggesting otolithic signals are important for this aspect.